Cavs: 3 teams that should have traded for Larry Nance Jr.

3 teams that should have traded for Larry Nance: Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls added a number of new players this offseason as they look to build a playoff team around Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan and Tony Bradley are all new rotation pieces.

The Bulls’ offense looks like it will be juiced, with Vucevic’ floor-spacing from the 5 opening up the court. LaVine and Ball have both grown into knockdown shooters, and DeRozan is still a master of the midrange and an improved passer.

The question is who will guard in the frontcourt? LaVine has improved to below average on defense, and both Ball and Caruso are excellent backcourt defenders. Yet Vucevic has one of the league’s largest disparities at center between his offense and his defense, something of a reverse-Rudy Gobert. DeRozan has never contributed much on that end. The team is relying on the youngest second-year player in the league, Patrick Williams, to be a difference-maker on that end.

Larry Nance Jr. was an obvious fit for their roster. He could come off the bench to spell Williams, or pair with him in jumbo lineups. When the Bulls want to go small he could slot in as a smallball 5, providing rim protection and unlocking switching lineups. The Bulls are clearly going all-in on winning now, so turning down Nance to instead take on bad money and future draft capital doesn’t make much sense. It feels more like a hedge than a push to win.